Why not Cypriot?

Istanbul is getting covered with snow...so the timing was right to fly to Cyprus last Tuesday. I have already learned a great deal about this small Mediterranean island, that is shaped something like a guitar. I am traveling alongside my friend, Kanber, and we have been welcomed into the house of Rıdvan.
Upon arrival, I was struck by the extreme diversity in the city of Lefkoşa (Nicosia), the city of our arrival. It is obvious that many different countries have controlled the area. There is the Turkish writing across the billboards and stores, along with a few scattered minarets and sculptures of Atatürk. Another detail one cannot miss is the traffic driving on the opposite side of the street (showing definite British influence). Beyond that, there ıs a huge Venetian fortress dominating the downtown. Some of this fortress also forms part of a wall that separates the northern one-third of the island (the Turks who claim sovereignty) from the southern two-thirds (the Greeks). The only country in the world to recognize the northern part of the island as a separate entity (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) is the Turks. Passing to the other side takes nothing more than a paper and your passport and seems like more of an annoyance than anything. Beyond this, the country has a rich history, like the other countries of the eastern Mediterranean. The first stop was the port town of Girne (this can get a bit complicated as most cities here have several names, a Turkish, Greek, and sometimes English name). The afternoon was spent wondering through the stone walls of the Kyrenia Castle, staring to the north across the sea at the mountains of southern Turkey and to the south, at the mountains towerıng above the city. Today, the destination was Mağusa (this city has five different names!). In the center of the city is this building... Can you guess what it is? Its a Venetian church, with an addition of a quick minaret and WHAPOW! converted to a mosque. Its that easy!! The entire city is a scattered archeological site containing examples of Venetian architecture that took us all day to weave through. This is the Othello Castle, in Mağusa, which as all good castles should, included a moat and a dark hallway leading to the unknown!